Earthbound site updated with a message from Shigesato Itoi

"Nintendo’s official Earthbound site was updated yesterday with a message from series creator Shigesato Itoi, thanking fans of the game and poetically pondering on what the game means to him.

Even for Itoi, it was difficult to describe what made Earthbound…Earthbound.

'[Earthbound is] a playground filled with things no matter how small or unwanted,” Itoi wrote, continuing, “they would all be kept dear in people’s hearts. They would all be kept dear in people’s hearts. It looks like all my friends from around the world have discovered the theme to the game as they were playing – even though I didn’t think I gave it one. That’s right, that’s something I also wanted to do all along.'

Itoi’s statement about the “small or unwanted” may be in reference to how the game’s world is so full of tiny details or NPCs that always have something to say, no matter how insignificant. Those of us who have grown up with Earthbound over the years may find his message uniquely heartfelt and endearing. I suggest you give it a read."

Earthbound is "Earthbound 2" or Mother 2 as it is. Its only called Earthbound in the U.S. because the name "Mother" was obviously copyrighted. The same with the Megadrive becoming the Genesis, the Famicom becoming the NES, Rockman becoming Megaman and so on.